


New Years Day Morning

by TintedPink



Series: Lysa Does Something Stupid [3]
Category: Iron Man (Movies)
Genre: M/M, Not Canon Compliant, One Night Stand, not enough communication the morning after
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-14
Updated: 2019-03-14
Packaged: 2019-11-17 23:13:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18108464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TintedPink/pseuds/TintedPink
Summary: IronStrange Hung Over + The Morning After





	New Years Day Morning

**Author's Note:**

> Pre-IronMan 1 (and that one scene in Iron Man 3) Stephen and Tony meet at a New Years Eve Party.
> 
> A/N: I was inspired by nothing in particular to do this. I like the way it turned out more than I expected to.

In Tony Stark’s personal opinion, January 1st should be illegal. He’s got a terrible hang over, someone lifted his watch, and he woke up in bed next to a strange man. Okay, that part wasn’t so bad, but he was really going to hear it from PR if he got caught with a man right before a new release. Heaven forbid the press speculate about his bisexuality instead of talk about his new missile. Tony sighed and got up, hoping to sneak out before the inevitable, “oh shit you’re Tony Stark” moment or the, “oh shit I got drunk and slept with a stranger moment” or Tony’s personal least-favorite “come back to bed, baby.”

No thanks.

So Tony sneaks out of bed and redresses, having perfected his post-one night stand walk-of-shame, and rinses the taste of hangover and ass out of his mouth when the guy started waking up.

“Pay for the room on your way out, you asshole.”

Tony is caught off guard, because that’s not normal.

“I was planning on it. Maybe less-so now, since I’m such an asshole.”

“You’re the one who insisted we come here. I have student loans to worry about. I’ll give them your card number if you don’t and you’ll have to pay for it anyway.”

“That would be identity theft. Very illegal.”

“But would you prosecute me?”

Tony popped his head back into the room to look at his bedmate. “Is that something you’re willing to test?”

The guy was definitely no more than 25, 26, to Tony’s near 30. He had... interesting eyes, stone cut features, messy dark hair, a very serious expression and... well Tony can see why he said yes to him last night, even if he doesn’t entirely remember doing it.

He pulls Tony out of his reverie with “I am if you are,” and suddenly Tony remembers that he was supposed to be having a conversation. Identity theft student loans guy. He replayed the conversation in his head to catch himself up. It took longer than it should have because of the headache, and then it registered, this guy was fun.

“I’ll pay for the room if you remind me what your name is.” Tony may have gotten it the night before, he may not have. Men tended not to care as much, which suited Tony just fine, but Tony wanted to keep up with this guy.

“Stephen Strange. You should remember that.”

“Why? Have goals of stardom?”

“I’m going to be ground breaking. Fame will just be a perk.”

Tony grinned, winced, but then smiled again with his eyes closed and his temple leaned against the cool door jam. “I can admire a man with goals.”

“I’m sure you can. You admired me plenty last night.”

“Even drunk I’m a very thorough lover.” Tony pushed away from the door to rinse his mouth out one more time and fix his hair. “If nothing else the scandal of coming to my hotel room will get you some decent publicity.”

“Is this some of that all press is good press bullshit?”

Tony went back into the greater room to fish his tie out from under the bed and retie it around his neck, still too uncoordinated for comfort, but he’d sober up with hotel room coffee. It was a luxury he wasn’t going to allow himself when he had decided to sneak out, but since he’s not going to achieve that he at least wants his morning coffee.

He sets a cup to brew and then sits down on the bed to pull his shoes on. “All press is good press. You just have to know how to spin it. Most people’s memory for this stuff only lasts a couple months, and at least you got them talking about you.”

“Maybe I don’t want them talking about me. I’m not exactly out to my family.”

“Then you should have picked someone else to take home last night.” Tony ties off his shoes and then fishes out his wallet, “I’m not out myself, so we’re going to do the best to control the story. If we’re lucky you’re pretty enough that they thought you were a woman and were relatively uninterested.” He threw a business card with his personal number scribbled on the back down on the bed.

“And if we’re not lucky?” Stephen looks at the card but makes no move to take it.

“Then this is going to be the biggest thing to hit the news cycle since I went to rehab the first time and you’re gonna want to tell your parents not to touch the internet.”

“It’s not that easy.”

“Trust me, I know.” He said wryly, thinking of Rhodey’s reaction when he found out through the press that Tony had to go to rehab. “Okay, listen. It was dark, we were sucking face, there’s a good chance they won’t be able to ID you. Just lay low and deny deny deny. You’ve never met me, you think I’m an insufferable asshole, you wouldn’t sleep with me if I told you I was going to forgive your student loans. Whatever you have to say. Don’t go overboard, make it believable, and I’ll do my part to keep your name out of the press.”

“I can’t believe you just said ‘sucking face.’”

Tony rolled his eyes, and ow, that was a mistake, still hung over, ow. He rubbed his forehead and got up to feel his way towards the sweet smell of coffee. “I can’t believe that was your take away.”

“What did you want me to say, thank you?”

“It would’ve been nice, but unnecessary. This is pretty standard procedure for people who aren’t using sleeping with me as free publicity. All you really had to say was ‘okay.’”

Stephen was unusually quiet while Tony nursed his coffee. He got up and got dressed without even bothering to cover up his walk of shame. Bed head and all Stephen walked to the door and paused just before opening it.

“Thank you.”

Tony is startled but recovers quickly. “You’re welcome.”

Stephen leaves before Tony’s even finished speaking, and Tony looks at the closed door. This was not the exit Tony had intended. He doesn’t think it’s the one Stephen had intended either. He makes a second cup of coffee and takes his time leaving so they won’t be seen leaving at the same time. He takes the back exit through the kitchen and calls Happy to meet him there. The hotel has his card on file and he doesn’t even stop at the front desk. He just slips into his car, sunglasses on, and tells Happy to take him back to the Tower. Why he decided to spend the New Year in New York was beyond him, but maybe it hadn’t been entirely a waste.

When he got home he set up a news alert for Stephen Strange and went back to bed.

And suddenly he remembers... he forgot to check if the guy took his card. He groaned and covered his head with more covers.

January 1st should be illegal.

**Author's Note:**

> [Tumblr Post](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17232671/chapters/40599314)
> 
> PS: This was originally posted to [this](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17232671/chapters/40633817) oneshot compilation. Once all the oneshots from that work have been posted individually and have been up for a week, I will delete that work.


End file.
